MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - The dreaded clutch fork pin

Well its been at least 25 years since the tapered pin has been removed so i was not totally surprised when it sheared off. I have the hacksaw out and i am about to cut the cross shaft but thought in desperation i would ask if there is some other way?
Mitch Smith

Hi Mitch

I just hacksawed mine out, but I think it is just about possible to remove the pin by drilling the opposite side of the fork and then using a thin drift through the hole to knock the broken pin out. The problem is that you have to drill on the steeply angled part of the fork, which didn't look all that feasible to me. I spent maybe 5 minutes trying to get a hole started before reaching for the hacksaw. I already had a new shaft, fork etc. from a TRF sale (about $75 for the lot, as I recall) so it didn't feel like it was worth the effort to save the old ones. You really don't have anything to lose by having a go. Well, except a bit of time.

The old shaft has been used many times since then as a drift, so not a total waste!

Hope that helps
Alistair
A Hewitt

Hi Mitch,

just cut and replace the shaft.... easy to build a new one too if you have some metal skills. The shaft will be badly worn at the bushing points and the bushings will need to be replaced: double up the bushing on the driver's side as this one wears the fastest... some of the fellows here have installed grease fittings in the housing at the bushing locations... just a thought. I used some long bronze-lite bushings and built a stainless shaft. The bronze bushings were easy to obtain (Princess Auto as I recall) and inexpensive too. So where are you located in this "best of all" provinces?

Cheers, Rob
'76 tr6
Qualicum Beach
Rob Gibbs

I used a TR4 and earlier style cross shaft as it is predrilled at each end for grease fittings and has internal passages in the shaft for the grease to get to the bushings. It also has a groove cut into it for a retaining bolt. The TR4 style bushings are rather brittle, the TR6 bushings are much better from a material standpoint, but have a small bearing surface compared to the earlier bushing.

I found some bushings at an industrial supply that are nice layered material in the correct ID, OD and length for the shaft bore in the transmission housing. On the right hand side, it was just a standard bushing install. On the left hand side the bushing was modified slightly. A stock TR4 bushing was used as a guide and material was cut away, then deburred to correspond to the retaining bolt and groove region of the bushing. Installed the bushing and ran bolt into the transmission case just like on the earlier cars. This provided nice positive locating of the shaft to prevent any potential side to side movement and was no big deal since our transmission cases have the same bolt provision as the early cars.
Steve Pike

Thanks for the info guys. I think i will devote about 15 minutes to drilling the fork and seeing if i can punch it out, and if no luck then as Alister says, i will have myself a nice drift when im done!
Rob, i had allready thought about building a stainless shaft and mounting it in longer bushings, sounds like the way to go. My metal skills are not up to welding on patches on panels, but making bushings and brackets and stuff I am pretty handy with that. ( and there is a really good welder at work who i can ask nicely to do things for me )
I am located in Mill Bay, about 30 minutes north of Victoria..............
Steve, glad you brought that point about the TR4 shafts up. I had it in the back of my mind ( that they had grease fittings on them ) and will talk to my brother who has been hoarding TR4 parts for years, if he may have a NOS one that i can pry out of his hands.
Thanks again gents................now the big problem is do i work on the 250 today, or take the "other car" out because the weather is so nice!

cheers,

Mitch
Mitch Smith

Hi Mitch,

go for a drive for sure as the weather is not going to hold.
Check out Ken Hedges TR250 (OECC, midisland) as he has just recently finished a masterpiece winning firsts in all judged events entered over the summer. I am sure he wouldn't mind showing it off to you.
I do have a spare shaft blank and arm both in stainless but not yet drilled or welded. You would be welcome to them.

Cheers, Rob
Rob Gibbs

IT worked! Took more than 15 minutes though, but i did get it drilled and punched out the remnants of the pin. Shaft seem to be in pretty good shape with just a touch of wear on the area where the drivers side bushing works on it. Anyways, time to enjoy the rest of the day.
Thanks for the offer of your spare cross shaft Rob, but i think this one will do the trick.

cheers,

Mitch
Mitch Smith

This thread was discussed between 22/09/2007 and 23/09/2007

Triumph TR6 index